For some weird reason that dude reminds me of Brother Voodoo:
http://www.toonopedia.com/voodoo.htm
(a comparison he’d likely want to battle axe me for making)

Have to admit, these guys put Alice, Ozzy & Kiss to shame in the demonically ugly department (some strking images in Beste’s folio). The whole scene seems a perfect petrie dish for the old ideology & music debates. When do the extra-musical trappings of a given genre eclipse/diminish the genre itself? The church burnings, murders & Nazi ties are certainly unsavory in the extreme. Though I guess it’s enlightening to learn that Jan Garbarek & Frode Gjerstad aren’t the only musical exports out of Norway.

These are some truly striking images, Phil. Some of them are truly gorgeous photographs, regardless of the subject matter... and it's nice to see said subject matter being taken seriously by someone, too. (Well, except for the photo of Silenoz and the clothesline... someone should tell him that he's not doing himself any favors ditching the dye and spikes.) Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for the link, Phil, I'll definately catch this show when it's up. On a quick gloss, a few of these of these are really good (the portrait of Enslaved, all of Gaahl of Gorgorth, the sink) but the majority of them look like pictures from press releases. And almost all of the shots in "nature" are either a) hilarious, or b) hackeneyed and ridiculous.

A few of these guys are naturally quite attractive, one wonders why they go to such extremes to cover it up?

Since there are lots of photos of them in the gallery, I should mention that Gorgoroth's Twilight Of The Idols: In Conspiracy With Satan is a fantastic album, one of the best black metal releases of the last 2-3 years.

I'm way partial to Enslaved's Under the Lights, myself. But I suppose that's only a black metal album in the very loosest of senses.

Same goes for Dimmu's Death Cult Armageddon, prolly.

i've seen these photos before and they are great- and they sum up the appeal of black metal. the guys look great and evil. i love death metal and own tons of it, but as far as actually buying black metal my experience is limited to darkthrone and absu on cd (like them both) and seeing dimmu borgir live (not impressed- but they looked great)- i've listened to some immortal and enslaved which i also dug.

what i find interesting (at least here in south texas) is the mexican-american / black metal connection. like this local band adumus- http://come.to/adumus - tex-mex muchachos in corpse-paint. and possibly as many as half the fans at any black or death metal show in houston will usually be mexicans. odd considering the racial views of some of the norwegian metal dudes... or maybe it's not odd- i don't know.

btw this is my first post here after lurking for a while. my name is carlos from houston and i post as pechuga on I Hate Music if anybody cares.

Hey, Carlos. I can't get Beste's site to open. Looks like a bandwidth problem from here. Maybe someone can paste a pic or two here in the comments?

looks like the pics on Beste's site are all "embedded" (don't know if that's the right word) in a flash presentation- so i can't figure out how to post them here.

a selection of some of beste's pics are also here:

http://www.fecalface.com/features/black_metal/1.html

but the best ones are at his site

looks like I'm having a flash problem with my computer. Thanks for the alternative.

Yeah, it's a flash site. I got the shot for the top of this entry by taking a screenshot and cropping it in Photoshop.

Great piece on the reprinted Black Metal ur-text Lords Of Chaos (and some other stuff, too) in this week's New York Press.

And people complain about Janet Jackson...

phil, what is this about? Call me?

phil, what is this about? Call me?

Dag gum it, where was this link when I was booking flights to Chicago yesterday? A day late & a dollar short… Yeesh!

Post some fucking pictures im in class right now and i say your site sucks ass

you gay guys dont now anything about real live black metal is not somthing where you dorks have to write about you all can suck eachothers dick waitin for satan arrivel dark black metal greets Skargharoth

Before someone comes for your balls, Phil, I just wanted to ask you the question that Anne Hilde Neset poses in the last Wire (in the Go To section, sort of a postscript to Edwin Pouncey's Subterranean Metal Primer) - what exactly is the definition of Death Metal as opposed to Black Metal? While we're on the subject, what do you think of Edwin's selection? Rather tilted towards the stoner end of things - Earth, Sunn O))) etc it seems. Thanks for clearing these terms up for us! Cheers

hi, I'm David, 24, Belgium.
some ideas on the selection in the Wire:
I agree that there's far too much emphasis on stoner/doom, with a band like Sunn0))) for instance, great though they are, only being very indirectly related to metal at all. now I have always regretted how so little good, 'progressive' metal has entered the radius of all those avantgarde, Wire-reading people out there.
from roughly 1995 to 2001 there were a couple of great bands that came from black metal and pushed things into whole new dimensions, each one uniquely their own. i'm actually just categorizing a bunch of things that don't have any direct connection, but there was this feeling back then that united lots of fans (on message boards and so on), who had such similar preferences that maybe there was some kind of an 'avant-metal' scene after all. A big chunk of it was located in Norway. I would have loved to see some of that stuff saved from oblivion:
OK, Ulver was in the article, and that's great. they were among the most important. I don't know any band that shifts styles between releases as much as they do; their Silence EPs are the best they've done in my opinion. the samples of their upcoming album (on the Jester Records site) indicate something new and scary once more - I'm not even sure I like it, but it's good to see they're still doing whatever it is they want to do.
closely related (same frontman, Kristoffer Rygg) are Arcturus, whose 'La masquerade infernale' would have probably been number 1 in 'out-there metal'.
then I would have included these:
Ved Buens Ende - Written in waters (one of my favourite albums ever, completely unique)
Dødheimsgard - 666 international (same as for VBE)
Fleurety - Min tid skal komme AND Department of apocalyptic affairs
Bogus Blimp - Cords. wires (on Rygg's label Jester, which is hardly a link to metal at all, but I can't resist mentioning it)
In The Woods... - everything, their evolution from viking 'mother nature' metal youngsters (Heart of the ages) to hippie rock band (Strange in stereo) is just amazing
Drawn - Plan be (ITW-related)
Naervaer - Skiftninger (ITW-related, not metal by a long shot but incredibly beautiful)
EbonyLake - On the eve of the grimly inventive (am I the only one who thinks this is completely bizarre, twisted and unique? it seems so)
Solefald - The linear scaffold AND Neonism
Sigh - Hail horror hail (or any other one of their albums really, they are Japanese and weird - what an amazing combination)
Mayhem - Grand declaration of war (one of the most experimental metal releases to my ears, that's why I would have expected it in an article like that)
Emperor - Anthems to the welkin at dusk AND Peccatum - Strangling from within (both bands of Ihsahn)
Thorns vs. Emperor
Beyond Dawn - Revelry AND In reverie
Dornenreich - Her von welken Nächten (German black metal band with cello and good lyrics)

for other, equally nostalgic reasons I would have mentioned:
Korova - A kiss in the charnel fields
Moonspell - Under the moonspell
At The Gates - The red in the sky is ours AND With fear I kiss the burning darkness
Burzum - Det som engang var
Forgotten Woods - The curse of mankind (some of the truest black metal is very 'minimalist' to my ears)
Absu - The sun of Tipharet
Cradle Of Filth - The principle of evil made flesh (they muted into an awful monstrosity very quickly, but their first album is a classic)
and so on..

I can't describe each of those albums right now, and in some cases it's very hard anyway, but google will tell you all sorts of things.
I'm glad the Wire is finally allowing some metal in their pages, but it's somewhat frustrating to see that it's stuff like Dimmu Borgir that gets reviewed; well if that is Wire music, then you could have had an entire metal reviews page each issue for the last 12 years with tons of cheesy synth metal bands, each more pointless than the last.
Truth be told, there is very little interesting metal being released the last few years, or maybe it's just my shifting interests (I found Bagatellen looking up some EAI albums and am listening to Kan Mikami at the moment). It's just sad that this whole thing there was, with all its potential, remained largely isolated and so almost died out because stupid metal clichés (with a lot of truth to them, of course) hindered it from reaching a lot of people who would have been able to appreciate its unique qualities.
OK, that was my 5 cents, thanks for listening!

David, great stuff & thanks for the list. I'll try and search out some of the stuff you mention (meanwhile if you want to write anything more extensive on the subject drop me a line at DWarbur928@aol.com). Still unsure about the difference between Black & Death though :))

Black metal and death metal are very different. I've actually heard so many people ask that question, while thinking to myself that the differences are glaringly obvious, that it kinda pisses me off - but Anne is such a nice lady that I'll let it slide.

Black metal - face paint, leather 'n' spikes 'n' swords, frequent keyboards, lots of minor-key melodies, high-pitched screamed vocals, orchestras and choirs when they can afford them (cf. Dimmu Borgir's last two discs, Cradle Of Filth's last two).

Death metal - lots of low end, blindingly fast, intricate, cyclical guitar riffing, guttural vomiting-Rottweiler vocals, no face paint, some leather 'n' spikes but rarely swords (most death metal bands dress just like their fans - denim-clad schlubs straight out of the 7-Eleven parking lot). No orchestras, no choirs, no keyboards.

As far as the Wire piece in general, I thought it was basically an ad for the Southern Lord catalog. The intro mentioned more names and album titles worth checking out than the body of the piece (though Corrupted and Khanate are both highly, highly recommended). I pitched an "avant-metal" primer some time ago, planning to chart the connections between metal and the avant-garde, and it contained some of the following:

Obituary, Slowly We Rot
Pain Killer, Guts Of A Virgin and Buried Secrets
V/A, Pathological Complication
Napalm Death, Scum
Gorguts, Obscura
Ved Buens Ende, Written In Waters
Fleurety, Min Tid Skal Komme
Last Exit, everything

Note, BTW, that I reviewed the new Pig Destroyer album in the same issue that the Pouncey piece appears in. (Reviewed Jeff Parker's new one, too, but that's totally non-metal.)

Many thanks for this Phil. From your description I think I prefer Death. (And yes, Southern Lord did do rather well in Edwin's piece, didn't they?)

about a year ago i didn't know the difference either, but then there was a little discussion just here in the backyard, and i became quite a fan since then.

to add some to phil's description of black metal, which is not nearly as good as his description of black metal. but first, if you are new to black metal, please try to avoid both dimmu borgir and (especially) cradle of filth.

frequent keyboards is an exaggeration. yes, there, quite many, but not "frequent" for sure. in fact, most black metal bands, obviously more underground ones won't use keyboards. and when they will, unless they are "symphonic black" (see Emperor's first two LPs), it will be used for creating atmosphere. also , re: orchestras and choruses. there are i think only two black metal bands that can afford that, and they are very bad example (see above).

"high-pitched screamed vocals". i am buy no means a long time black metal fan, but this is pretty wrong. most black metal band use what i'd call "shrieking", or just plain screaming, Burzum-style. there are more, but yes, i never heard any that growled like death-metal bands.

you forgot a very important point, which is riffs and guitar sound. death metal will go for more "rock'n'roll" style. heavy discernable technical riffing, meant to kick your ass. black metal most often will use buzzying riffs, that are sort of blended together.

finally, black metal is much heavier on atmosphere. which is very important nowdays , as these two streams are much more bleneded together.

hope that makes sense, and that i didn't sound too much like "true black metal" fan.

cheers.

If someone could explain why so-called "true" black metal fans hate Cradle of Filth and particularly Dimmu Borgir so much, I'd appreciate it. CoF have only put out one good album, to my ear, but Damnation And A Day is great. It's sweeping, symphonic, grandiose, epic - all the things metal should be. Dimmu Borgir travel the same path, but they're even better at it than CoF. Death Cult Armageddon and Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia are amazing albums. So many black metal bands put out identical-sounding, hissy, no-bass, scream-and-scrapefest albums that frankly sound like shit and offer not a single interesting moment. They're boring and mass-produced, intended to please the diehards and no one else. CoF and Dimmu, I think, have the potential to reach beyond the core audience of fat kids with pimples from too much corpse paint, and that's why those same fat losers, sitting in their basements buying swords off the internet, hate them. But maybe there's some larger reason. If so, I'd like to hear it. Because on purely musical grounds, Dimmu Borgir stomp all over every other black metal band on the planet, present or past, and that includes Emperor. (I hate Emperor. Always have, always will.)

hm that's a good question. hard to answer. i'm not fat, i don't buy swords, never wore corpsepaint or whatever, just no way i'll know that. i'm also not a "true black metal fan". but maybe because those are not black metal bands. the claim that metal should be "sweeping, symphonic, grandiose, epic" is arguable, especially when it's comes out just pompous and laughable. i myself prefer Emperor to Dimmu, and if i want "metal" i'd rather listen to Death than to the latter anyway. because i don't listen to Velvet Caccon for the same reason i listen to Wolf.

also, dismissal of black metal fans is cheap, Phil. so, so cheap. and misinformed, maybe? i see from your comments, that you just don't like black metal, and don't know it very well. why don't you check out, if you haven't

deathspell omega - si monumentum requires, circumspice
weakling - dead as dreams
end - ii
leviathan - tentacles of whorror
negura bunget - 'n crugu bradului
taake - nattestid ser porten vid
eikenskaden - the black laments symphonie
absu - tara
blut aus nord - the work which transforms god

than you will see, that black metal is simply too different from the metal you seems to like, and you just can't demand the same things from it.

c.

but i'd rather discuss tropicalia.

c.

>black metal is simply too different from the metal you seems to like

This is probably true. My experience with black metal is limited to the following acts:

Immortal - love 'em
Enslaved - only heard Below The Lights, but I like it a bunch
Khold - like the most recent album a bunch
1349 - don't love 'em
Antaeus - like Cut Your Flesh And Worship Satan a lot, haven't heard anything else
Anaal Nathrakh - are these guys even black metal? They sound like it, and I love everything they do
Behemoth - they dress black metal, but they sound death metal, and I like them
Emperor - heard most of their albums, just don't like 'em
CoF and Dimmu - already discussed

I admit my shot at black metal fans was cheap, but it was meant as a joke. I love Death and Wolf, too (I interviewed Wolf for Revolver magazine not long ago).

Black metal, death metal, dark metal, proto-black metal, blackened death metal, etc. The genres can get a bit blurry sometimes.

Death metal is pretty aesthetically singular, so your death metal description is pretty right on.

Black metal however...

Phil wrote:
"Black metal - face paint, leather 'n' spikes 'n' swords, frequent keyboards, lots of minor-key melodies, high-pitched screamed vocals, orchestras and choirs when they can afford them (cf. Dimmu Borgir's last two discs, Cradle Of Filth's last two)."

This could somewhat describe a lot of the newer black metal bands, but certainly Immortal, Darkthrone, Burzum, Abruptum wouldn't really fit in to such a description. I guess they're more "Old School" black metal and your description is of "New School"? Though beyond a certain atmoshpere, simplistic harmony and philosophy (to a certain extent) these schools don't share too too much.

Phil wrote:
"If someone could explain why so-called "true" black metal fans hate Cradle of Filth and particularly Dimmu Borgir so much, I'd appreciate it."

Said haters (I may be one! :-) Though I've heard some good earlier work by both, it's not my bag.)prefer the ultra-primitive, lo-fi, non-epic, keyboardless, choirless noise of good old fashioned anti-social, anti-musical cult black metal. (Should be spelled cvlt, no doubt.)

"So many black metal bands put out identical-sounding, hissy, no-bass, scream-and-scrapefest albums that frankly sound like shit and offer not a single interesting moment. They're boring and mass-produced, intended to please the diehards and no one else."

YES!!!

Sure, there's a lot of repetition, but like the best noise and the best free jazz, the cream of the crop stand out, at least for those who want to bother getting involved. It can be tiring otherwise.

Phil:
"But maybe there's some larger reason. If so, I'd like to hear it."

It's like people who hate prog rock (King Crimson/Cradle of Filth) versus the more primitive beat music (Downliners Sect/Darkthrone). I don't usually get involved in the "this vs. that" arguement because I still feel 90% of every genre and subgenre is crap and the great stuff is great and most people can't agree.

Phil:
"Because on purely musical grounds, Dimmu Borgir stomp all over every other black metal band on the planet, present or past, and that includes Emperor. (I hate Emperor. Always have, always will.)"

What are "purely musical grounds"? Chops? Do "purely musical grounds" account for the aesthetic criteria that may lead someone more towards Emerson Lake & Palmer, as opposed to the Sex Pistols? Because I much prefer Hellhammer to Dimmu Borgir and I think Absu could give them a "purely musical" run for their money. Though I'm right there with you on Emperor with the exception of their Wrath of the Tyrants album + demos, which I of course like because they are prmitive and sloppier!

Either way... enjoy, to each their own, varying mileage, blah blah. (But... seriously try Absu's Tara - it's always my first black metal recommendation to people and if you like Immortal, you may like this. Immortal rules!)

If someone could explain why so-called "true" black metal fans hate Cradle of Filth and particularly Dimmu Borgir so much, I'd appreciate it.

Because it is not Black Metal! You are comparing Walt Disney to Evil Dead. Just because bands use corpse paint does'nt make them Black Metal. You are talking about commercial metal that is ment to sell and does not even sound like Black Metal. Try some real music like Sargeist and Nattefrost, you'll know the difference.

This is probably true. My experience with black metal is limited to the following acts:

Immortal - love 'em
Enslaved - only heard Below The Lights, but I like it a bunch
Khold - like the most recent album a bunch
1349 - don't love 'em
Antaeus - like Cut Your Flesh And Worship Satan a lot, haven't heard anything else
Anaal Nathrakh - are these guys even black metal? They sound like it, and I love everything they do
Behemoth - they dress black metal, but they sound death metal, and I like them
Emperor - heard most of their albums, just don't like 'em
CoF and Dimmu - already discussed

Of all the bands you have mentioned above, there are just 4 Black Metal bands and you do not really seem to like them exept for 1. Why bother to find out what Black Metal really is? I think you would'nt like it anyway. Besides, there is more to Black Metal then just music......... I doubt if you would understand it anyway

the problem with most people in their understanding of black metal is that they feel all the black metal can offer is satanic statements and melodic[melodramatic too]keyboards an its all bout that.agreed that bands like dimmu an cradle give most people such a feelin indulgin in useless topics especially one of dark funerals albums called as teasch yur children to worship satan that is the shit no wonders people are intimidate but the difference here is whether yu wanna know if theres a world below all that shit where there is technicality,brutality,darkness,and complicated harmonies an lyrics which puts yur brain to work cretively.to understand black lyrics foremost is not a play the complexity of the out of senses lyrics need to be appreciated first.
morever people whove heard to bands like burzum an gorgoroth an bathory or even borkhnagar wuldnt think the same anymore.
the bnds we had sumtimes called old school is one genre of black that needs to be delved into, the unknown realms of black for instance there are bands like darkthrone who quit death after understanding the complexity,technicality and difference of black .
this does not mean that im against black it only emphasizes on its importance in the mainstream genre.
the greatest and the most classic example wuld be mayhem who were previously into death metal with songs like the fucking bloody armageddon until meeting a pioneer who joined their band who showed them the right direction
now id like to tell yu people some good deep bands
immortal
burzum
darkthrone
bathory
venom[father of black]
borknagar
behemoth
emperor
tearstained
opeth[tho not exactly black the influence is]
blood haven
gorgoroth
unlord
stormlord
i think that shud be enough

My only question is why do you have to hate bands that are not part of your exact genre. I listen to things I like, not death metal or black metal. I listen to bands, if the bands happen to fall into one of those genres then good for them but it means nothing to me.

Cradle may not be black metal at its purest but anyone who says it does not have strong ties is mad. It has ties to black metal just as it has ties to certain more dramatic/melodic genres. They may where there makeup and dress in leather with spikes but they do that to portray the image they wish to portray. Whether that be the Black metal look or even the "Cradle look".

I respect the bands like Emperor, Immortal, Behemoth, Bathory, and even At the Gates. I can still listen to both.

I have to say that out of all the different fans from different genres black metal fans are very single minded in general.

You people are pathetic.Real Black Metal is so far beyond your comprehension its like apes trying to back engineer an F-16.You think its all about image cos you sheep are brainwashed into thinking image is everything.You claim to understand Black Metal yet none of you would ever have felt the hate and deep bitterness required to understand this elite form of musical expression.Go back to your life of love and comment not on that you know not of........

why can nobody learn to accept the diversity in black metal beliefs. there are those who follow count grishnackh and the beliefs of the underground music distributors
"no fun, no trends, no mosh", and those who enjoy what could be called black metals more "commercial" buisness. Both have valid views. And as far as commercilism is concerned, we can take from euronymous in that underground beliefs are a valid sruggle but in the end "it kills the band." anti-commercialism is a suicidal protest.

why can nobody learn to accept the diversity in black metal beliefs. there are those who follow count grishnackh and the beliefs of the underground music distributors
"no fun, no trends, no mosh", and those who enjoy what could be called black metals more "commercial" buisness. Both have valid views. And as far as commercilism is concerned, we can take from euronymous in that underground beliefs are a valid sruggle but in the end "it kills the band." anti-commercialism is a suicidal protest.

YOU ARE GAY

and you are dumb

I'm 1/3 gay, and probably more than that dumb.

Which third, the top, the bottom or the bit in the middle?

Another for Blut Aus Nord. A coworker loaned me a disc and it was pretty great... and I loaned him Six Organs of Admittnace, so everybody was happy!

OK, chimed in, don't know enough about the topic to stick around otherwise...

What's with this shit? Come now - we're all gay!
[wasn't this scientifically proven to be the fact a while back?]

Stop bitchin about the music!!,listen to it,love it,wack to it,follow it!!..gospel.If ya like the music Who gives a flying frig-if ya like black-Kool!!-if ya like death-kool,as long as theirs ppl listening to metal-and not F**Kin some industry boy/girlband-solo "artist" piece of crap making millions of one bloody song that they cant even think of themselves with a team of sh*theads screwing/scammin the world into thinking that these F**ks are real talent!!-Give Me A Moment To Urge-"Vomit",Im Gonna Be A-while,I'm Quite Sick,See Ya Later-"Ralph"-Leaves With The Sounds Of Heaving....

For those of us who play these two types of music the difference are quite obvious

Black Metal:
usually single melody over chords played around the 1st and 2nd octaves of the guitar
Sometimes just chords
Many times the melody or harmony is hidden behind one another (because of similar notes and poor production)
the melodies are move at quarter notes but are played at 16th note tremelo. The melodies are usually bassed off the minor scales.
Chords are usually just power chords (perfect fifth and an octave) also played at 16th note tremelo.
Because the guitars have the distortion cranked and the high amount of tremelo, a wall of sound is produced and also helps create the dark atmosphere.
Melodies are dark and cold and flow smoothly with the chords following in a simple manner.
Keyboards will have a nice cold pad or strings that plays almost the same chords as the 2nd guitar.
Not a whole lot of energy on the down beat or up beat, just constant energy.
Vocals are screamed, shrieked, and soud like have blood in throat (wet)
Drums are usually just simple rhythms played real fast.

Check out Emperor- I am the black wizard
Dark funeral- hail satan
Dissection - Black Horizons

Death Metal:
palm muted power chords played on the first octave of a guitar downtuned 4 steps or so. They are played in a heavy rhytmic manner with super edgy, fiery fills played mid range on the guitar.
Generaly very difficult and technically to play.
No Real melody or harmony, except for maybe the intros or leads.
Chord changes and fills are generally bassed off the chromatic scale which creates a feeling of chaos and violence.
Heavy energy on down beats.
No Keyboards
Vocals are real deep growls and wet. Often close to monotonic. (just one or two notes)
Lyrics growled quite fast.
Leads are played real high following minor scales or chromatic scales. Almost impossible to play.
Drums can be technical.

Check Suffocation- Catonia
Dying fetus- justifaible homicide
Necrophagist- Stabwound

As for CoF, Their melodies are not very dark, very iron maiden-ish. They rely on eerie keyboards patches and dani's vampire vox to make up for it. And then their producers adds his touch to make it more commercial friendly. Sometimes the guitar sounds like something I have heard on the radio. (Boring, easiy, not creative, not dark or heavy, EASY TO LISTEN TO)

Dimmu, The EDT and PME albums are still quite black. The cleaner production and catchy keyboards make people say "Sell outs." The melodies are not too dark either. DCA had too much fun with the Keys and forgot about the guitar.

Emperor is probably one of the only black metal bands that know what they are doing most of the time. On in the nightside eclipse album, all the black metal elements are there, but they use they use some nicer chord (minor chords and sus chords, etc.) Song structures are also quite nice. far from intro, verse,chorus,verse chourus verse bridge chourus ending. And many times the keyboard will play a melody that doesn't follow the gtr melody and sound awesome and very dark and grim. They also know how to control dinamics by changing from monophonic melodies, homophonic melodies and polyphonic melodies. From the listeners view, they might be hard to listen to at times. But from the musician, composers view they are brilliant. Their last album was not black metal any more, but was still amazing. The only extreme metal band i know of that did such amazing things with the two gtrs and keyboard.
Three different melodies at once is like an orgasm.

Comercialism sucks because I have seen some brilliant bands their begining but then a record company picks them up and stress them to make music that will sell better. The darkness, technicallity,and creativity leave in exchange for catchier riffs and easy to follow song stuctures. SHIT!

Thanks very much for this Michael - I'll be sure to refer back to it for reference in future.

I saw this on today of all days (666), and read the entire thing. Tonight I'll have a black metal night or is am I feeling deathy today? Atmosphere or aggression? It's all so complicated. Can't the entire world just go die?

black metal is just GAY. ..that right there sums it all up so i will not go on. what ever happened to true heavy metal like pantera? not this stupid face painting, german-language bullshit. i'd say black metal is about as bad as emo.

http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail141.html

"The gift of death metal does not smile on the good looking."

Hahaha

Since originally posting this piece, I've listened to a lot more black metal. I still love Immortal, still like the two most recent Dimmu Borgir albums a lot (the remade Stormblast was utter shit, though), and no longer have any respect for Cradle of Filth; Damnation And A Day was clearly a one-shot.

A lot of what I've been listening to lately are these one-man groups (Xasthur, Leviathan, Fear Of Eternity, Heresi, Nortt, etc.). Xasthur and Nortt seem to really have unique musical visions that could please folks who don't otherwise give a fuck about black metal, while Fear Of Eternity has a lot to offer fans of Zombi and 80s horror soundtracks. Funnily enough, when a bunch of the big-name one-man acts got together to form the Southern Lord BM "supergroup" Twilight, the results were uninspired to say the least. They were all better off alone.

I'm thinking about checking out the Immortal reunion show in NYC next summer, but only if I can get on the guest list (which I think I can). I was lucky enough to see them live in 2002, and they were pretty good. I still have my "Sons Of Northern Darkness" T-shirt in the closet...

I've studies the history of black metal, I respect the difference between the waves, I only want to ask one question, I came to know about black metal when I saw a Gorgoroth wallpaper while searching about some commercial metal band, so then a little bit commercialism cannot hurt the black metal scene as more people will come to know about it?
I love Burzum, Gorgorth and few other black metal bands, I do not like death metal and am dissappointed that Behemoth has deviated from its roots because their earlier songs were better, now they sound more like technical death metal, they call it blackened death metal, what do you have to say about it.

I like Behemoth, but mostly for the vocals, which sound like a jet taking off more than any sound produced by a human throat. Seriously, that guy (Nergal) scares the hell out of me.

As far as black metal getting a little bit more mainstream attention, I'm fine with it. I think the form is resistant to mainstream success because it simply doesn't share the aesthetic values of the majority of music listeners. However, I think some of the bands I discuss in this piece could cross over at least from black metal cultdom and colonize some territory within the Goth and/or Industrial cults. Same thing with Xasthur and Leviathan; I can't see why they wouldn't appeal to people who dug, say, Nocturnal Emissions or Throbbing Gristle or Lustmord.